Product display and shelf management frequently requires that a supply of products of the same type, displayed on a shelf or rack, be kept in an orderly, upright arrangement and be constantly urged forwardly, as product items are removed, so that the display is always neat and the product is always visible and available for display at the front of the display device. A variety of devices and systems have been proposed over the years for accomplishing this objective. Some of the more important improvements in such systems are reflected in the above-mentioned related applications.
The above mentioned pending applications are directed to various features of a product display rack comprised preferentially of a wire rack structure supported at front and back ends by special low profile plastic bases. A product pusher is slidably mounted on the wire rack structure, and actuated by a spring which constantly urges the pusher device toward the front of the display rack in order to maintain the product inventory in the front portion of the rack as individual product items are removed by customers.
In many, if not most cases, it is desirable to provide the product display rack with width-adjustable wire side guides, in order to maintain products in an orderly alignment while accommodating changes from time to time in the width of the products displayed on the rack. Such side guides advantageously comprise wire elements extending from front to back at each side, and having transverse mounting sections slidably engaged with the plastic bases at opposite sides of the display rack.